Is Greece a Sacrifice or the Shape of Things to Come?

Germany’s Carthaginian terms for Greece … The last time Germany needed a bail-out from world creditors, it secured better terms than shattered Greece last week … The austerity policy being forced on Greece by Germany and the eurozone cannot command democratic consent over time. – UK Telegraph/Ambrose Evans-Pritchard

Dominant Social Theme: Greece has got to pay.

Free-Market Analysis: Ambrose Evans-Pritchard makes good points in this article on Germany’s attack on Greece, but to us it’s a kind of elite dominant social theme. The idea is to blame Germany’s leaders for intolerable austerity, and Chancelor Angela Merkel in particular. However, from our point of view, Merkel is merely working for larger powers-that-be.

It is the Anglosphere power elite that seeks to build up the EU as part of its focus on creating worldwide governance. And it is this same elite that is causing economic chaos in order to further its plans. Out of chaos … order.

For one reason or another, the powerful families that apparently control central banks around the world (and the trillions they throw off) have decided to turn Greece into a fiery battleground. One can see this policy proceeding deliberately. Evans-Pritchard notes it:

The US, Canada, Britain, France, Greece, and other signatories at the London Debt Agreement of 1953 granted Chancellor Konrad Adenauer a 50pc haircut on all German debt, worth 70pc in relief with stretched maturities. There was a five-year moratorium on interest payments. The express purpose was to give Germany enough oxygen to rebuild its economy, and to help hold the line against Soviet overreach …

Greece has less strategic relevance, and must comply with tougher terms … Some 60,000 small firms and family businesses have gone bankrupt since the summer, the chief reason why VAT revenues dropped 18.7pc in January. The violence of the slump is overwhelming the effects of fiscal retrenchment. So much Sisyphean effort for so little gain.

The policy cannot command democratic consent over time. The once dominant Pasok party has collapsed to 8pc in the polls. Support is splintering to the far Left and far Right, just like Weimar Germany under the Bruning deflation.

The next Greek parliament will be packed with “anti-Memorandum” fire-breathers, and any attempt by Greek elites to prevent elections taking place must push street protests towards revolution. In a sign of things to come, the Hellenic Police Federation has called for the arrest of Troika officials on Greek soil for attacks on “democracy and national sovereignty”.

Evans-Pritchard believes that Germany’s pols are driving Greece to ruin for internal political reasons. He even writes that Germany’s finance minister Wolfgang Schäuble wants to push Greece out of the EU.

He believes that Greece is being sacrificed on the altar of German public opinion. His perspective seems to be that the sacrifice of Greece will then allow Germany and Brussels to deal more gently with Spain, Portugal and other countries that are in a position similar to Greece’s.

But in an apparent contradiction to his own theorizing, Evans-Pritchard admits that Germany’s stance has created a new tone in Europe, one that presents the EU as an all powerful and merciless arbiter of national finances. Greece in this sense is a sacrificial lamb.

By demanding a budget viceroy for Greece, and now an escrow account to seize Greek revenues at source, the Merkel-Schäuble government has crossed a diplomatic line and brutalised EU politics. “Memorandum Macht Frei”, as one Greek newspaper splashed.

It is not, in fact, work that shall set the Greeks free but removal from the EU, even if not all Greeks have reached this conclusion yet. As we’ve pointed out many times, the way that Brussels snared Southern Europe was via a kind of trap.

The top men of the EU offered Southern European countries billions to “balance the books” preparatory to joining the EU. The leaders of Ireland, Greece, Spain, etc. did exactly what pols would do in this case. They squandered the money and distributed it to cronies.

Then these political elites made sure that their countries joined the EU – the quid pro quo. Finally, these elites left power, having enriched themselves enormously. Now the PIGS must pay, but it is not the fault of the citizens. It was a cleverly laid trap, or seems to be.

This is the part of the European crisis that is never discussed. The Greeks weren’t necessarily profligate. Their government leaders were rash, but it was probably part of a larger plan. The top men in Brussels have been blunt in private conversations. They have intended to create a crisis in order to increase the power that Brussels has over member states.

We’ve pointed out that the EU and its strategies of empire were created prior to the Internet. We also tend to believe that what we call the Internet Reformation is making it increasingly difficult for the powers-that-be to exercise the apparently seamless control that they did in the 20th century.

We believe the Anglosphere made a tactical decision to further sever the link between Britain and the EU to strengthen the EU. The elites didn’t WANT for this to occur, in our view, but the growing resentment in Britain forced their hand.

Likewise, it may be that the furor inflamed German public. It is hard to say at this point what is being done on purpose and what is taking place as a result of an unprecedented pushback against the EU itself.

We think the Internet’s information and organizational characteristics have made it more difficult for the power elites to pursue their world-spanning plans. We notice their discomfort and the efforts they are making to shut down the ‘Net.

We also believe that the ejection of even one country from the EU will be a significant setback to the plans of the power elite, just as Britain’s public leave-taking was a setback. The elites need to project a sense of invulnerability in order to pursue their one-world project.

Conclusion: Thus, even though a potential Greece defection may be seen as necessary sacrifice that strengthens the whole, we’d be apt to see it as a further problem for the elites. Time will tell.

Posted by bob on 02/15/12 12:04 PM

“The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time, with the blood of patriots and tyrants. It is its natural manure.”

Thomas Jefferson

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Jefferson died in his bed, though.

Posted by GrandpaSpeaks on 02/15/12 11:56 AM

Both.

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Succinct!

Posted by bob on 02/15/12 10:29 AM

“I spent 33 years and four months in active military service and during that period I spent most of my time as a high class muscle man for Big Business, for Wall Street and the bankers. In short, I was a racketeer, a gangster for capitalism.

I helped make Mexico and especially Tampico safe for American oil interests in 1914. I helped make Haiti and Cuba a decent place for the National City Bank boys to collect revenues in. I helped in the raping of half a dozen Central American republics for the benefit of Wall Street. I helped purify Nicaragua for the International Banking House of Brown Brothers in 1902-1912. I brought light to the Dominican Republic for the American sugar interests in 1916. I helped make Honduras right for the American fruit companies in 1903. In China in 1927 I helped see to it that Standard Oil went on its way unmolested.

Looking back on it, I might have given Al Capone a few hints. The best he could do was to operate his racket in three districts. I operated on three continents.”

Major General Smedley Darlington Butler

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Posted by Saintpaulia on 02/14/12 10:07 PM

Posted by vivek on 02/13/12 12:56 PM
Powerful stuff now in play. And this is Greece. What when Spain goes this way? Something always told me it would be Spain that finally sank the fiscal side of the EU, thus forcing a very quick political re-structuring.
Bad as it is and is going to be, Greece is just the fuse, not the main event.

Vivek

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@Vivek. I think you are right. Last night I was watching a delightful BBC production entitled Michael Palin: Hemingway Adventure (q.v. Netflix). Palin is the delightful part of the production. It’s of course about Hemingway and Palin visits all the places that featured prominently in “Papa’s” life.

The very first episode featured Spain, obviously because of Hemingway’s fascination with bull-fighting. The program showed various aspects of Spanish culture, especially in connection with a Valencia festival, but also in the running of the bulls in Pamplona. (Can you imagine something like the Pamplona bulls running thru the streets of some Anglo-American city? Heavens! someone might get hurt, can’t have that!)

Well the Spanish “have that”. And they damned well will continue to “have that” thank you very much you lily-livered milquetoasts! The Anglosphere might be able to pull the wool over the eyes of Americans, et al. but I don’t think they are going to fare so well with Spain. Those folks have cojones!

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Posted by OneSmartMoma on 02/14/12 06:10 PM

Posted by seen2much on 02/14/12 05:13 PM
Ok, I know you love a good theory here, so this seems the best place to see what people think about this.
What if Greece is indeed being punished, and it’s spanking has something to do with the petrodollar? I can’t help but wonder, since it was France that urged Saddam Hussein to sell in euros instead of dollar, and DSK, the supposed “next in line” for high office in France who was politically assasinated with those rape charges, shortly after his moves to try and upsurp the petrodollar for a petroeuro.. Notice Greece uses and used oil from
Libiya, Iraq AND still from Iran.. What if for the anglosphere oil per se was not NEARLY as important as the CURRENCY it is bought and sold in, and the U.S. treasuries the profits are held in.. America goes not into these wars and conflicts for oil per se, but to preserve their “cut” of all oil movement.. What better way to have a finger in every important pie in the developed world than to have total control of the currency and debt instruments of the one resource needed for modern life: OIL.

Isn’t it odd,that the two world leaders who strayed the furtherst off of the petrodollar reservation had their violent and humiliating deaths video recorded and broadcast unedited on the internet (Libiya, Iraq.)?

Isn’t it odd that the war drums over Iran are getting deafeaning as we get closer to the March 20 opening of the Iranian oil bourse?

What if nearly all efforts of American foreign policy was rooted in holding up the petrodollar paradigm? What if other nations and regiems were as equally dependent on the petrodollar paradigm? What if precious metals or ANYTHING of real value and easily recognized as such the kryptonite of empire?

What if the entire ECB fiasco is some western “housecleaning” to get everybody back on the petrodollar reservation.. With some horrid examples of what happens if you stray too far (Greece)??..

What if China and Russia seek their own petrocurrency paradigms? Why wouldn’t they? Maybe even India as well?

Cui bono if it becomes petrogold?

Well, just some thoughts from a humble sheep rancher in central Texas…

Great response. Thank you for your comments!

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Posted by seen2much on 02/14/12 05:13 PM

Ok, I know you love a good theory here, so this seems the best place to see what people think about this.
What if Greece is indeed being punished, and it’s spanking has something to do with the petrodollar? I can’t help but wonder, since it was France that urged Saddam Hussein to sell in euros instead of dollar, and DSK, the supposed “next in line” for high office in France who was politically assasinated with those rape charges, shortly after his moves to try and upsurp the petrodollar for a petroeuro.. Notice Greece uses and used oil from
Libiya, Iraq AND still from Iran.. What if for the anglosphere oil per se was not NEARLY as important as the CURRENCY it is bought and sold in, and the U.S. treasuries the profits are held in.. America goes not into these wars and conflicts for oil per se, but to preserve their “cut” of all oil movement.. What better way to have a finger in every important pie in the developed world than to have total control of the currency and debt instruments of the one resource needed for modern life: OIL.

Isn’t it odd,that the two world leaders who strayed the furtherst off of the petrodollar reservation had their violent and humiliating deaths video recorded and broadcast unedited on the internet (Libiya, Iraq.)?

Isn’t it odd that the war drums over Iran are getting deafeaning as we get closer to the March 20 opening of the Iranian oil bourse?

What if nearly all efforts of American foreign policy was rooted in holding up the petrodollar paradigm? What if other nations and regiems were as equally dependent on the petrodollar paradigm? What if precious metals or ANYTHING of real value and easily recognized as such the kryptonite of empire?

What if the entire ECB fiasco is some western “housecleaning” to get everybody back on the petrodollar reservation.. With some horrid examples of what happens if you stray too far (Greece)??..

What if China and Russia seek their own petrocurrency paradigms? Why wouldn’t they? Maybe even India as well?

Cui bono if it becomes petrogold?

Well, just some thoughts from a humble sheep rancher in central Texas…

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Posted by alexsemen on 02/14/12 02:03 PM

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Posted by Ol’ Grey Ghost on 02/14/12 08:51 AM

Posted by Hognutz on 02/13/12 04:56 PM
Cool Blog BTW.

Thank you, kind sir. Though I am a pacifist (non-aggressive)…

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I am not a masochist.

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Think of me as a kind of porcupine; I only hurt those who try to press (oppress) down on me…

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Posted by bob on 02/13/12 10:45 PM

Posted by jjkorman1 on 02/13/12 04:09 PM
If anyone thinks anyone is in charge, take your head out of the sand and look around you!

My grandpa was a science/technology advisor to one of Stalin’s close associate responsible for the Soviet defense industry. He also met the dictator at numerous occasions.

He told me many stories about the dictator and ways “the business” was done.

Now, some of these stories (Questions, Answers, and Comments) I was told in early 1970s:

Q. What was the most important Lenin speech?
A. Three months prior to the Bolshevik revolution, speaking to a mass gathering of solders, Lenin said: ‘Go and rob/plunder those who enriched themselves by robbing, looting, and by fraud’
C. People liked that. Now, they could get something from anybody who had something (land, money, women, valuable, etc.,) just by using force and murder. People just loved this ‘socialism’. People just did not think that later many of them would be the next victims.

Q. Why did Lenin and Stalin use GULAG (force labor extermination camps)?
A. Stalin explained that ‘regular people’ are just lazy and stupid and must be forced to work.
C. Isn’t it a brilliant explanation?

Q. Why did Stalin liquidate all Bolsheviks (the Lenin’s Guards) together with so many innocent people?
A. They were agents of world Jewish bankers; Stalin did not need masters. He was interested in building his own empire.
C. The idea was good but the practical implementation was not simple since people very often ‘went overboard’. Like reporting on your boss would open room for your own promotion as well as opportunities to get his valuables including his women.

Q. Was Stalin an anti-Semite?
A. No, Jews were his most loyal and trusted associates but, in late 1940s, Stalin understood that Jews would rather serve to the world Zionist masters than to him. Therefore, he decided to deal with them the same way he has dealt with Chechens, Crimea Tatars, etc.,. That is, to expel them to Siberia.

Q. Why is the West so prosperous?
A. In Stalin’s view, the West had colonies where they got raw materials and free slave labor. As soon as the Soviets destroy the colonial system, the West prosperity and power would collapse.

Now, back to the New World Order:
• The USA and EU must restore an old colonial system to survive.
• The main obstacles are Iran, Russia, and China.
• The Russian situation is very touchy. The present Russian oligarchies are Zionist agents but Russian people are like Pashtun tribes in Afghanistan. Therefore, the West is afraid of repeating “the Soviet experiment”. But the longer Russia stays the higher chances for a direct confrontation with China.

PS
IMHO, Russia would sell Syria to NATO as they have done it with Libya but Russia is very afraid that China will not forgive or forget the double-crossing.

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Posted by seer on 02/13/12 07:48 PM

“It is the Anglosphere power elite that seeks to build up the EU as part of its focus on creating worldwide governance. And it is this same elite that is causing economic chaos in order to further its plans. Out of chaos … order.”

This is why Moody’s has down-graded 1/2 of the EU countries?

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Posted by EdnRaleigh on 02/13/12 05:22 PM

Now that America’s puppet has been installed in Greece, (Italy is next) the natural gas pipeline from the Levant Basin has a direct route through Cyprus to Europe, the 2nd largest market for NG. Note the recent diplomats visiting the WH and State Dept. and the recent attack on the Arab pipeline with the trouble in Homs, Syria and it all seems to add up.

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Posted by Hognutz on 02/13/12 04:56 PM

Posted by Ol’ Grey Ghost on 02/13/12 04:33 PM
@ Hognutz

Here some more if you have time:

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I just don’t go looking for trouble because, as my life experience has taught me, those who look for trouble usually find it and in the worst way. I wait to see if it comes looking for me and then I put it to bed…

Cool Blog BTW.

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Posted by alexsemen on 02/13/12 04:54 PM

Posted by Hognutz on 02/13/12 04:15 PM
There comes a time in a mans life when he must stand up for what is right. If it means knocking the “bully” on his @$$ then so be it. Pacifism will work right up ’til the gas chamber… … … .

A last remark. German police platoons, cooperated side by side with the Greek police forces – dressed in Greek uniforms followed their ‘friends’. It’s not verified, but probably it’s correct. They belong to some European force of rapid entry, called EuroGendFor (www.eurogendfor.eu/).
Be safe,

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Posted by chad2 on 02/13/12 04:52 PM

WWII: Europe fought each other on the battle field. Answer: Trade union in Europe for peace. Result: Europe fights each other in trade. Answer: Full political union. Hmmmm, maybe that’ll work for the world too? Hmmmm, how could worldwide political union fail? Probably when someone (a single person) wants to rule the world…

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Posted by Hognutz on 02/13/12 04:45 PM

Posted by Ol’ Grey Ghost on 02/13/12 04:33 PM
@ Hognutz

Here some more if you have time:

Click to view link

Click to view link

I just don’t go looking for trouble because, as my life experience has taught me, those who look for trouble usually find it and in the worst way. I wait to see if it comes looking for me and then I put it to bed…

Agreed sir. But I have a feeling trouble is going to find us all soon. Whether we look for it or not.

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Posted by joresc on 02/13/12 04:41 PM

Greece is the first to have its sovereignty revoked because it was the cradle of DEMOCRACY. Therein lies the message. The symbolism is not lost on these folks. 9-11 ??

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Posted by Ol’ Grey Ghost on 02/13/12 04:33 PM

@ Hognutz

Here some more if you have time:

Click to view link

Click to view link

I just don’t go looking for trouble because, as my life experience has taught me, those who look for trouble usually find it and in the worst way. I wait to see if it comes looking for me and then I put it to bed…

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Posted by Ol’ Grey Ghost on 02/13/12 04:24 PM

Posted by Hognutz on 02/13/12 04:15 PM
There comes a time in a mans life when he must stand up for what is right. If it means knocking the “bully” on his @$$ then so be it. Pacifism will work right up ’til the gas chamber… … … .

@ Hognutz

For your reading pleasure and my line in the sand:

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‘Nuff said?

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Posted by Danny B on 02/13/12 04:21 PM

“and now an escrow account to seize Greek revenues at source,”
Ha ha ha. I suppose that it never occurred to the Germans that the Greek tax collectors would be a no-show when push came to shove.
Italy has the third largest bond market in the world. Why fight over Greece when Italy will clear the table?

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Posted by Hognutz on 02/13/12 04:15 PM

Posted by Ol’ Grey Ghost on 02/13/12 03:57 PM
The Daily Bell said: “We don’t endorse violence, which usually only leads to more violence.”

A commendable position that I share with the good folks here. But one has to wonder that for all the works of Man that condemn violence as “a means to an end,” why is it that so much of Mankind’s history seems to have been settled by violence? Is it that Man is an evil and violent creature by nature or is it that the historians of times past only wanted to record the gory stuff because, as we all know, violence sells newspapers and books and winners like to have their story recorded in a way that puts a good light on them. Hmmmmm…

There comes a time in a mans life when he must stand up for what is right. If it means knocking the “bully” on his @$$ then so be it. Pacifism will work right up ’til the gas chamber… … … .